Railway car rerailing mechanism



Feb. 3, 1953 SETLIFF 2,627,235

RAILWAY CAR RERAILING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 11, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET l fare/210.2-

ZZ. cfe t/zff Zita/929 Feb. 3, 1953 E. L. SETLIFF 2,627,235

RAILWAY CAR RERAILING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 11, 1950 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 Patented Feb. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY CAR RERAILING MECHANISM Edgar Lee Setliff, Killarney, W. .Va..

Application October 11, 1950, Serial No. 189,610

Glaims- 1.

This invention relates to railway car re-railing mechanism.

More specifically, the invention is concerned with improved mechanisms for re-railing cars when laterally opposed wheels thereof have become derailed, with one wheel disposed externally of the adjacent rail and the other wheel disposed internally of the adjacent rail.

Since it is a quite frequent occurrence for railway cars to become de-railed, considerable attention has heretofore been directed to apparatus for effecting re-railing of the cars.

While it is appreciated that various forms of re-railing mechanism have heretofore been used or proposed and which was operative for effecting the desired result, nevertheless, such prior constructions failed to meet the maximum requirements of structures of this kind.

Such failure in prior constructions was due either to the provision of relatively simple mechanism which was not of maximum eiiiciency in operation, or the provision of mechanism of greater efficiency in operation and which was of complex and expensive construction.

It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide railway car re-railing mechanism which is of relatively simple and inexpensive construction while being of maximum efliciency in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide railway car re-railing mechanism wherein the wheel-engaging portions thereof are readily formed from scrap railway rails.

A still further object of the invention i to provide railway car ire-railing mechanism which embodies a l'eei'ailing track for a wheel displaced externally of the rails and wherein the mechanism is constructed for positively holding such track against displacement from the adjacent railway rail.

A still further object of the invention is to provide car re-railing mechanism which is readily reversible.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein?- Figure l is a side elevational viewof the improved structure for re-railil'lg a railway car wheel which has beenderailed and disposed externally of the adjacent rail which is indicated in section in this figure, the structure in this figure, however, being shown in inoperative position.

Fig. 2 is a topplan-view of the structure of Fig. 1 shown inan operativere-railing position.

Fig. 3 is. a bottomyplan view. of the right-hand end of the structure shown, in Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a broken top plan view similar to Fig; 2, but showing the structure operatively associated with a rail opposed to the one shown in Fig.2.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational View of the rail-. engaging portion of the structure and being dis? posed for engaging the rail according toFig; 4,

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a structure for cooperation with that of Fig. 2 or 4, and which is operative for re-railing wheels which have become de-railed and disposed between the rails of a railway track.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of thestructure of Fig. 6. r

Fig. 8 is a'right-hand end elevational viewof the structure of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view ofthetwo rails of a railway showing an operative application of. the re-railing mechanism thereto;

Referring now in detail to the-drawings, and referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 whereinisshownthe structure for res railinga wheel. disposed externally of the rails, lli designates are-railingtrack.

This track is formed from a pieceof 25 lb.,rail way rail and embodies a web I I, abase-i'lange l2. and a car wheel-engaging portion which isibent at two spaced points intermediate its endsin the provision of a horizontal portion [-3, a downwardly sloped portion l4, and a further portion l5 sloping downwardly at a more acute angle than the portion M.

The free end of portion l 5 may be downwardly forged which, with the web I I, providesan initial car wheel-engaging portion I6.

The web I I is cut away beneath the horizontal portion l3 and presents an end edge H which is notched, as at it, in which is receivedoneend of a bar [9 whose opposite endextends tothe-free end of portion 13, and which is provided witha depending stop lug 2B. The first named end of bar I9 is rigidly secured to theweb H as bywelding about the edges of notch I 8.

A bearing plate 2| is disposed beneath the bar i9 and is pivotally connected therewith as by the pivot pin 22 which extends through alined apertures in portion l3, bar l9, and p1ate 21.

The plate 2| is defined by a semi-.circularedge, opposed parallel straightedges in continuation of the semi-circular edge,andastraightpendedge opposed to the semi-circular edge.

The plate 2! is provided with, a depending supporting plate 23 adjacent the semi-circular ed e and such supporting plate is rigidly secured at its upper end to the plate 2|, and at its lower end it is rigidly secured to a horizontal foot plate 24.

Thebearing plate 21 is further provided with a pair of depending positioning plates 25 and 26 which are rigidly secured at their upper ends to the plate 2| as by welding.

The positioning plates 25 and 26 are adapted to receive therebetween the ball of a rail R for properly positioning the structure, and plate 26 includes an intermediate semi-circular portion 2'! for accommodating the pivot 22.

The supporting plate 23 is at one side of pivot 22 while the positioning plates 25 and 26 are at the opposite side of the pivot.

The structure is shown in Fig. 1 in an inoperative position but which more clearly shows the construction. The structure is shown in Fig. 2 as being operatively engaged with a righthand railway rail, and it is shown in Fig. 4 as being operatively engaged with a left-hand railway rail, in conformity with the showing in Fig. 1.

The structure as shown in Fig. 1 could not be pivoted to an operative position when engaged with the rail R but must be pivoted to a position substantially as in Fig. 2 or Fig. 4 before being applied to the rail.

The structure above described is for raising and guiding that wheel of a car which is disposed outside the rails of a railway track only and when in operative position, the tracks l3, i4, 55 should be at an angle of approximately 20 to the adjacent railway rail R.

When the track is in such operative position the stop lug 20 engages a straight side edge of the bearing plate 2| as is indicated at X in Fig. 2, and thus the track is positively locked against movement away from the rail R under the influence of a car being rolled upwardly thereon.

It is to be particularly noted that the structure is reversible and thus it can be operatively supported on the right-hand rail of Fig. 2 or the left-hand rail of Figs. 4 and 9, but in the latter case the stop lug 20 engages the opposite straight side of the bearing plate 2!, as at X in Fig. 4.

The improved apparatus also includes a structure for re-railing the car wheels which are disposed inside the railway rails. Since the wheel outwardly of the rails is guided by the structure above described, the opposite wheel between the rails will necessarily follow the guided wheel, and. accordingly the structure for disposal between the rails need not have support from the rails and is accordingly disposed adjacent same without any connection therewith.

The structure for disposal between the rails is shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8.

As there shown, the wheel-supporting portion of the structure, indicated at 30, is formed from a piece of 25 lb. railway rail and is disposed with the flange 3| vertical and the web generally horizontal.

In the construction of the portion 3!), the flange 3| is cut away at the upper side to pro vide a projection above the web 32 substantially equal in height to the upper portion of the ball 33.

The lower portion of flange 3! is cut away as at 35, and the web 32 may be downwardly rounded as at 36 to facilitate engagement of a wheel with the web.

The opposite end of flange '3! is supported by a vertical plate 31 seated in a notch 38 in the flange and rigidly secured thereto as by welding. The lower end of plate 37 is rigidly secured, as by Welding to a foot plate 39.

The operative arrangement of the two structures is shown in Fig. 9, wherein the outer wheelguiding and raising structure is associated with the left-hand rail R. L. and the inner wheelraising structure is associated with the right hand rail R. R. With the structure so disposed, the outer left-hand car wheel will be raised and positively guided by the track H) which has support with the rail R. L. The structure for the inner car wheel, however, has no guiding action and is laid with its upper end adjacent the rail R. R. and the wheel flange will roll up on the web 32, and when the wheel is adjacent the top of the structure the rail-engaging portion thereof will span the flange 31 and be disposed immediately above the rail R. R. which it will engage upon riding ofi the end of the web.

Upon reversal of the first structure for operative association with the right-hand rail, as in Fig. 2, the inner wheel structure will be disposed with the ball 33 adjacent the left-hand rail.

While I have disclosed my invention in accordance with a single specific structural embodiment thereof, such is to be considered as illustrative only, and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in the sub-joined claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. A structure for re-railing a derailed railway car comprising a flat bearing plate of uniform thickness engageable with the top of a railway rail, a supporting plate rigid with the bearing plate and projecting therefrom and in normal relation thereto nd in spaced relation to an edge thereof, the supporting plate being of a height substantially equal to that of the rail and adapted for vertical positioning in laterally spaced relation to the rail for supporting said bearing plate in horizontal position, a pair of spaced positioning plates of uniform thickness rigid with said bearing plate and projecting therefrom in parallel and spaced relation to said supporting plate and defining a rail ball receiving channel therebetween, said positioning plates adapted for disposition on opposite sides of said rail, and a, Wheel-engageable track supported adjacent one end thereof on said bearing plate and having pivotal connection therewith to one side of said channel.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said track comprises a horizontal straight section adjacent said pivotal connection, a second straight section in angular relation to the first section, a third straight section in angular relation to the first and second sections, and the free end of the third section being in the form of a downwardly inclined ground-engaging portion.

3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said track comprises a vertical web portion. a generally horizontal base flange and a wheelengageable ball portion at the upper edge of the web portion, the ball portion extending substantially beyond the web portion and base flange and overlying said bearing plate, and a bar having one end thereof rigidly secured to said web portion and underlying the extended ball portion,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Owens Nov. 15, 1881 Bourdette July 10, 1894 Marshall July 14, 1896 Kline May 22, 1900 Brittain Nov. 8, 1904 Babin Jan. 12, 1909 Smith July 20, 1909 

